BC welcomes more firefighters to province
By Contributor
With 162 wildfires still burning throughout the province and many fire crews needing to take mandatory days off, the Wildfire Management Branch will welcome 90 more out-of-province fire personnel to B.C. over the weekend.
Sixty sustained-action firefighters and about 30 additional firefighters from Ontario and Alberta will arrive in Prince George, where they will be briefed and then dispatched to where they’re needed throughout the province. B.C. firefighters have been working extremely hard and bringing in crews from other jurisdictions will give them a much-needed break.
The incoming personnel are highly trained Type 1 fire crews and specialized personnel who will perform key functions during this period of elevated fire activity. These firefighters were requested through the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC), which allows for the sharing of resources between provinces and territories in Canada.
In addition, two dispatchers from Alaska arrived in B.C. on Aug. 20, 2014. Their assistance was requested through the Northwest Compact, which allows for mutual resource sharing between B.C., Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Alaska, Yukon, the Northwest Territories, Alberta and Saskatchewan.
The firefighters who will arrive this weekend join more than 1,350 provincial staff, nearly 650 B.C. contractors, over 360 out-of-province personnel and 75 personnel from Australia who are already engaged in fire response efforts. The firefighters could remain in B.C. for up to 14 days and the cost of bringing them to B.C. will be covered by the Province.
To report a wildfire, call 1 800 663-5555 toll-free or *5555 on your cellphone. For the latest information on current wildfire activity, burning restrictions, road closures and air quality advisories, go to: www.bcwildfire.ca
